Shadows Of The Merchant Of Death
by Post U Later
Summary: An unexpected visitor comes to the tower in order to take one of the team away, & Tony'll be having none of that. The Merchant Of Death makes an appearance & death threats are thrown between the 2 like rice at a wedding. All the while, the rest of the Avengers stand back in shock. Will Tony chase off this unwanted visitor? Or will blood rain from the heavens? Slight Brony. Complete
1. Movie Night Interrupted

**A/N~ Hey Everyone! I Know I Should Have Updated My DIAFV Story, But I'm Stumped & I've Watched Avengers Like 20 Times & I Really Like Iron Man(I Mean Robert Downey Jr. Is Like My All Time Favorite Actor EVER), & I Couldn't Get This Idea Out Of My Mind. So I Hope You Like It. **

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**Warning~ There Is A Slight Bit Of Tony/Bruce, So If Even A Hint Of That Turns You Away, You Might not Want To REad This(But It's Just Mainly Bit Of Flirting) & It's Rated M Because I'm Paranoid & There's Some Pretty Graphic Acts Disrespect Towards The Dead In This, But I Can't Say To Much At The Risk Of Spoiling The Later Chapters. **

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**Disclaimer~ If I Owned Avengers, Tony Stark, Or Marvel, Tony Would Be Ruling The World Right Beside Loki & Ruling Over The Chitauri. Oh & Tony Would Be A God. But Alas, That's Not How It Is, Is It? T-T **

**Well Enjoy! XD**

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**_Chapter_****_ 1_****_:_**

**_Movie Night Interrupted_**

**_~1,491~_**

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"I can not believe you went under cover as a stripper!" Tony cried in between his hysterical laughs.

It was the Avengers movie night(orchestrated by none other than Pepper Potts), and they were sprawled out around the living room of the Avengers' Tower(previously Stark Tower) waiting for Steve and Thor to come back from the kitchen with the snacks and drinks. It had been a few months since the invasion, and the city was getting itself back on its feet. The Avengers all moved in with Tony and they were getting along... kinda.

"Friends! What make you laugh so?" Thor boomed as he came in from the kitchen holding a twelve back of soda and a big bowl of popcorn, Steve right behind him, carrying an equally large bowl of popcorn and a bag of assorted candies and chocolates.

"Yeah, we could hear Tony all the way from in the kitchen." Steve said as he handed the bowl to Bruce and held the bag in his lap as he sat down.

"Clint and Natasha were just telling us what they did before becoming Avengers." Tony laughed.

"Clint was in the circus, but after that he's always worked for SHIELD." Bruce commented, popping a piece of pop corn into his mouth.

"Then Natasha was telling was telling us about all the job she worked when she worked for Russia." Tony giggled immaturely. "She was saying she worked as a stripper."

Steve's face quickly became red and he looked away from Natasha, only causing Tony to laugh more.

"Yes, Tony, my past jobs are funny, but what was it that you used to do before you became an Avenger?" Natasha asked in a nonchalant tone as she grabbed a piece of popcorn out of the bowl in Bruce's lap.

Tony stopped laughing instantly, settling a half glare at Natasha before smiling an absolutely fake smile.

"You know what I used to do. The world knows I used to make weapons. It's no secret." Tony said easily, waving one hand as if it wasn't a big deal. "Or didn't you know? Were you to busy taking off all you clo-?"

A throw pillow hit Tony square in the face, halting anything further he was about to say.

"Well, are we going to listen to you two bicker about past jobs or are we going to watch this movie?" Clint huffed. "What movie is it anyway? You picked it out right Natasha?"

Natasha smiled wickedly as she nodded. The entire group gulped as she got up to grab the movie. They had learned quickly that Natasha had a preference for old, scary movies and after the last one, Steve had actually cried.

"I decided to take it easy on you guys." She held up the disk and several sighs of relief were heard.

"_Psycho_? I love that movie." Clint exclaimed. "It's awesome."

"All of _Hitchcock's_ films are awesome." Tony commented. "He was a genius. Not as much as I am, but for his time he was a genius."

"For his time?" Steve asked, not knowing who Hitchcock was. "Who is he?"

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't know since you were off fighting the good fight and all." Tony said more to himself. "He was a director and the pioneer of the scary movie industry. Most of his best work was in the early '60s with _Psycho_ and _The Birds_. My personal favorite is _Strangers on a Train_."

"Oh." Steve replied, not knowing any of the titles.

"My favorite is _The Mountain Eagle_." Clint said. "We're definitely having a _Hitchcock_ marathon next week."

"Of course yours would be the only one with a bird title." Tony said shaking his head, before he turned to Bruce. "What's your favorite_ Hitchcock_ film Brucie?"

"Please stop calling me that Tony." Bruce said, but flushed a but when he gave his answer. "My favorite is the _The Pleasure Garden_."

"Of course. Love and murder." Tony teased, poking the scientist in the ribs. "That's so you _Brucie_."

"Oh shut it." Bruce replied, throwing a piece of popcorn at the genius, only for him to catch it in his mouth and winking at him.

"Guys you ready or do I just have to start it without you?" Natasha asked impatiently.

Everyone shut up and took their seats. Bruce and Tony sat on a small, two seater sofa together,-Tony loathed calling it a love seat, but that's what it really was-sharing the bowl of popcorn Steve had given Bruce. Clint, Natasha, and Steve sat on a longer more spacious couch: Natasha on the left, near the two scientists, Clint in the middle, and Steve on the right, but where Thor sat. The Thunder God sat by himself in another two seater sofa, but with his size, it looked more like a throne chair, being only slightly too big for him, but he sat in it comfortably.

"I feel we are ready Friend Natasha." Thor said.

"JARVIS? Lights? And could you blackout the windows too? This movie is best viewed in the dark." Tony said ominously with a slightly evil cackle, causing Steve to gulp. Steve didn't like horror movies.

"_Of course Sir._" The smooth British accent replied as the lights turned off and the windows tinted until there was only light coming from the large flat screen TV.

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**~sregnevAvengers~**

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"AHHHH!" Steve screamed and jumped when the killer pulled back on the curtain, bringing his knife down on the woman over and over, sending popcorn flying into the air.

"Oh my god!" Tony laughed. "JARVIS please tell me you got that on camera."

"_Of course Sir._" JARVIS replied with what could only be described as a humorous tone.

"Good, because I'm making Steve's scream my new ringtone."

"Shut up!" Steve yelled horrified.

"I do not understand." Thor said confused. "Did she not have the door locked? Even on Asgard we lock our doors before bathing."

"Thor it's a movie, it doesn't matter." Bruce tried to explain.

"And could she not hear the door open?" Thor continued, ignoring Bruce. "Or at least try to defend herself?"

"Clint you want to give it a shot?" Bruce asked, not wanting to try and explain it to the god alone.

So while Tony was mocking Steve, and Bruce and Clint were trying to explain 1960s horror movies to Thor, Natasha continued watching the movie, trying not to be distracted by the buffoons around her. Just when she was about to snap, JARVIS cut her off.

"_Sir, we have a 'situation' downstairs_." JARVIS said, his tone dripping with displeasure as he said the word 'situation.' "_Alert R_."

"WHAT?" Tony shot, wide-eyed, up out of his seat, almost knocking the popcorn out of Bruce's hands. The TV stopped and the lights instantly came back on. "Tell me what's going on. How many? What's they're weaponry look like? Where are they and how long will it be before they get here?"

"_He's being accompanied by half a dozen men, all armed with AK47s and he, himself is armed with a shotgun. They are currently loading into all three of the elevators. Two in each of the sides and three in the middle._" JARVIS rang out detailed answers. "_They will reach this floor in precisely 43 seconds and counting._"

"Shit!" Tony cursed. "Not enough time to escape, let alone hide him."

"_40 seconds Sir._"

During this whole interaction between Tony and JARVIS, the rest of the Avengers watched in a worried fascination, not understanding what 'Alert R' was, or who, besides Pepper, could illicit this type of reaction from Tony.

"Tony? What's going on?" Steve asked. "What's _Alert R_?"

Tony turned around and walked straight to Bruce. The worry in Tony's eyes, frankly, scared the hell out of Bruce.

"_20 seconds Sir._"

"Bruce, whatever happens, I'll handle it." Tony said, the other Avengers were starting to get scared now. "And whatever you do. Do Not Hulk Out. I've got this. Okay? _No one_ is going to get hurt. Trust me."

"A-alright Tony. I trust you." Bruce said, unsure of what he was trusting Tony with, but the tone in his voice was soothing and caring and at that moment, Bruce trusted Tony with his life.

"_10 seconds Sir._"

"Do a 5 count JAR." Tony said, turing towards the elevator, the group automatically surrounding and protecting Bruce, Tony never worried, _never_, so if he was bracing Bruce and warning him, then something bad was about to happen. Something really, _really_ bad.

"_5_." JARVIS stated the count down.

Tony took his place in front of the group.

"_4_."

Bruce's mind, along with everyone else's, was reeling as to who could be in the elevators.

"_3_."

Tony relaxed into a calm state. Going into this tense and on edge wouldn't be ideal. Though going into this _at all_, wouldn't be ideal.

"_2_."

Bruce held his breath as JARVIS reached the end of the count down.

"_1_."

_Ding!_

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**E/N~ Well? What Do You Think Of The First Chapter? I Know It Was A Bit Short, But The Rest Of The Chapters Are Longer, By Nearly 1,000 Words. & I've Got 4 Chapters In All, So I Hope You Like Them Too. **

**I'll Be Uploading Chapter 2 Once I Get… 7 Reviews? If I Don't 7 Within A Week I'll Upload Chapter 2 For Those Of You Who Are Going To Review. **

**Thanx For Reading! X3 **


	2. Monster Hunter Vs The Merchant Of Death

**A/N~ OH! MY! GOD! 12 REVIEWS! I Was SHOCKED When I Opened My Email Last Night! & So Very Happy, ECSTATIC Really! Thank You To Everyone Who Reviewed! & Those Guests That Reviewed, Thank You Very Much, & Sorry I Couldn't Reply To Your Reviews, But Be Sure I Read Them All.**

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**Warning~ Talking Of Threats, Attacking, Killing, Murder, Etc. Dark Tony. Evil People. Just Bad Stuff.**

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**Disclaimer~ Again, Not Mine. I Shit It Was, But It's Not. Nothing Is. T-T**

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**Chapter 2:**

**Monster Hunter, Meet The Merchant Of Death**

**~2,287~**

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_Bruce held his breath as JARVIS reached the end of the count down. _

"_1."_

_Ding!_

Everyone tensed as the loud ding spread out in the silent room, making a soft echo. The doors to the two side elevators opened and four soldiers carrying AK47's, just like JARVIS had reported, walked out, taking positions on either side of the middle elevator. They held their positions as the middle elevator doors slowly slid open, reaving two more soldiers, nearly identical to the first four. However, behind the two middle soldiers was a slightly shorter man, with short, combed back, gray hair, and a gray mustache. He had his colonel hat under his arm and a name plate on his right chest. Though no one in the room needed to read it to know who he was.

"Ross." Bruce breathed, feeling his heart rate pick up slightly, just from see the man whom, not only wanted him captured, but turned into a science experiment as well. He could hear the Other Guy growling to get out and away from the man, but held him at bay.

"Ah Ross," Tony said in a business type nonchalance tone, "we meet again."

"Yes, the Monster Hunter and the Merchant of Death." Ross gave Tony a sickeningly sweet smile before saying, "Though, you're not much of a Merchant of Death these days are you?"

"And you're obviously not very good at monster hunting, since you haven't hunted yourself yet." Tony remarked.

"Ah there's that Stark charm everyone loves to hate." Ross kept that disgusting smile on his face. "Now move aside, you know what we've come here for. Hand over the monster and no one will get hurt."

"Excuse me?" Tony gave him a believably confused look. "I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about? There weren't any monsters in this tower before you set foot in it. If you want yourself, then by all means," Tony motioned to the elevators that were still open, before his tone turned deadly, "take your sorry hide and march out of my building."

Ross's eye twitched, but he kept his cool.

"Ah yes, I figured you'd be unwilling to hand over the beast. That's why I brought along some friends."

"Please, you don't have any friends." Tony waved his hand dismissively. "They've either been assigned to you or you've paid them off. Something I could easily do ten times over for each of them."

Tony noted that several of the armed men shifted at the thought of that much money. So it seemed Tony's guess had been correct in that they were hired guns.

"It doesn't really matter, even if you turn these men and get me to leave today, I will return with more every time. And we will bring that creature you're trying to protect with us. It's not worth protecting and risking your life over is it?" Ross asked.

"Indefinitely." Tony said without an ounce of hesitation. "I would rather have my arms and legs ripped off and my arc slowly pulled from my chest, before I'd willingly allow Bruce to go with you."

"Why?" Ross asked, losing his patience. "Why would you go through so much to protect that... That thing!"

"Because he's my friend," Tony answered. "and whatever I go through will pale in comparison to what you would put him though."

Ross scoffed as he looked around Tony and made eye contact with Bruce, whom's eyes had taken on a green tint.

"Looks like you've gotten a good man to fall for your evil." Ross said, talking to Bruce. "So sad rea-"

"Don't speak to him you _scum_! You are not worthy to even be in the same _room_ as him, much less _speak_ to him!" Tony cut him off, stepping in Ross's view of Bruce, his voice rising. "Now I will not _ask_ you, but _tell_ you to get out NOW! _Or else_. I will not be responsible for what happens."

"You do not frighten me Tony Stark. You are but a simple man without that armor of yours." Ross mocked. "No stronger than the average citizen, or more skillful than a woman who knows self-defense. And by the looks of that outburst, more impulsive than me, so I'll _ask _you. Hand ov-"

Ross cut his sentence short as Tony took an imposing step toward him. A deadly calm, almost casually nonchalant, look on his face. He looked far too laid-back to be having this conversation or to be in this situation.

"423 Millbrow Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico. PO Box 43. Work address is the University Of New Mexico, Medical Science Devision." Tony recited in a surprisingly cold tone, though he smiled when he saw Ross pale. "Though I believe they are currently at home. JARVIS?"

"_Preparations are complete Sir_." JARVIS's smooth tone filled the room. "_Sir, are you sure this is the right corse of action?_"

"JARVIS, I didn't program you to second guess my decisions."

The Avengers, still standing in a defensive position around Bruce were all confused. Who's address was that, and who could Tony be talking about that would made Ross have such a reaction. Bruce was the only one of the group that knew who Tony was referring to, and he was scared. If JARVIS was wondering if Tony shouldn't go through with his plan, it must be very reckless. Or very deliberate, and that scared Bruce even more. A careful Tony is a frightening Tony.

But Tony had told him to trust him, that he would handle it and no one would get hurt. And Bruce did trust Tony, as much as he could trust another person, so as much as he could, Bruce tried to control his heart beat.

"NO!" Ross screamed in anger, with a hint of trepidation. "You leaver her out of this! She has nothing to do with it!"

"Oh really?" Tony said in a surprised voice. "She has nothing to do with this. I believe you're completely wrong about that. Have you lost your memories in your old age?"

"What!" Ross exclaimed.

"She has everything to do with this." Tony shook his head disappointedly.

Ross tried to gain some control over himself. He ran a hand over his gray hair and tried to stand taller.

"You're bluffing, just because you know her home and work address doesn't mean you have the balls to do anything." Ross sincerely hoped he was right.

"Is that right?" Tony raised an eyebrow at the challenge. "JARVIS, initiate Plan Betty."

The room was silent. Ross had gone wide-eyed, as had Bruce. Both unsure what Tony's 'Plan Betty' entailed, but was sure of who it involved.

"What is that?" Ross demanded. "What are you going to do to my daughter?"

"You shouldn't be asking what I'm _going_ to do, but rather what I am _currently_ doing." Tony grinned as he walked over to the bar.

The rest of the Avenger looked on in horror, having caught on to what was happening. Tony was threatening Ross's Daughter as leverage.

"What?" If Ross's eyes had gone wider, they would have popped out of his head. "What are you doing to my daughter!?"

"Wanna call her and find out?" Tony said in a cheery tone. "JARVIS patch me through to Mrs. Ross would you? Thanks."

"_One moment Sir._" JARVIS replied.

After a moment of suspenseful silence the sound of a phone began to ring through out the room.

_Ring! _

_Ring! _

_Ring! _

_Click._

'_Hello,'_

"Betty!" Ross called out in worry. "Are you sa-"

Ross was cut off my the answering machine.

'_You've reached the home of Elizabeth Ross. I can't get to the phone right now, so please leave your name and number after the beep and I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks._'

_Beep!_

"BETTY! Please pick up the phone! Please!" Ross screamed in to the air. After a few seconds the sound of a click resonated through out the room.

"_D-dad?!_" A panicked female voice filled the room. There was lots of background noise that drowned out her soft voice, but it was clear something wasn't right.

"BETTY! Are you okay? Are you safe?" Ross asked.

"_I-I don't know what's going on_." Betty replied with a squeak. "_I was washing the dishes and all of a su-AHH!_"

There was a crash and a clatter as the phone was dropped. What sounded like a scrabble for the phone was made.

"_Dad, what's going on! All my electronics are going crazy!_" Betty said, it sounded like she was crying. "_My blender is going even though I unplugged it, the garbage disposal keeps spitting up water and wont turn off, my sink keeps spraying water everywhere, the coffee machine wont stop spilling coffee everywhere, the lights wont turn on. The TVs keep changing channels or blinking... blinking different colors making freaky symbols... Dad I'm scared!_"

"Betty don't you worry, I'll handle it. Just try to find someplace safe for now." Ross ordered his daughter.

"_But dad, what's-_"

The line cut out and all that was left was the dial tone that rang through the silence. Ross turned to Tony, who was sitting at the bar sipping what looked to be a scotch.

"You bastard!" Ross seethed. "How dare you!"

"How dare I? How dare I!" Tony's whole demeanor changed, going from relaxed to murderous in .7 seconds flat. "You're the one who just comes into _our home_ and demands that we hand over one of our family members! I thought it only fitting that you have to offer up the same!"

Tony stood, setting his half empty glass on the counter and advancing on the colonel with a frightening look on his face. Tony had his shoulders squared, his head high, body full of confidence, like he was when he was out in public, in front of cameras. But the look on his face was straight murder. None of the Avengers, not even Natasha, when she was Natalie Rushmore, had seen Tony so furious, but so in control.

Tony continued to walk towards Ross, the armed men backing away from the angry genius. He stopped only when he was within arms reach of the man. He leaned in and spoke at such a soft volume, everyone, even Steve with his super human hearing, could barely hear him.

"You're lucky that I have my friends here, because if they weren't, I'd have already decapitated you and you men and disposed of the bodies." Tony's tone was so frighteningly serious even the Avengers gulped in response.

"Y-your bluffing." Ross stuttered. "Threatening my daughter and making her house dangerous is one thing, but you're not a cold blooded murderer Stark."

At that Tony leaned away to look ross in the eye. Everyone started when Tony began laughing, almost hysterically.

"Have you even read my file?" Tony asked, abruptly stopping his laughing. "I've probably killed more men in a five minute time span than you have in a whole tour of combat."

"Like I'd believe that." Ross scoffed.

"Oh? Would you like a demonstration?" Tony asked calmly, as if he was talking about how to use a phone. "I would be happy to oblige if you're offering the body."

"F-fine." Ross hesitated. "Johnson step up." Ross ordered, but nothing happened. "Johnson, I said step up!"

"S-sorry Sir, b-but I don't think he's b-bluffing." A soldier, presumably Johnson stuttered out. He sounded terrified.

"You're such a wimp John." Another soldier said quickly stepping up in Johnson's place. "I'll be happy to take his place Sir."

"Very good." Ross said, gaining back a morsel of his confidence. "Your move Mr. Stark."

"JARVIS?" Tony called out, eyeing the soldier who stepped up. "Bring me up my... Oh I don't know, bring up the lowest end of my stock."

"_Bottom five Sir_?" JARVIS asked.

"Yeah, that'll be fine." Tony answered carelessly, walking back over to the bar to grab his drink.

Throughout this entire conversation, if you could really call it that, it was more of a threat toss(and Tony was winning), the Avengers were standing in total shock. Had Tony really just admitted to killing, more than likely, hundreds of people? The men looked to Natasha for some type of answer, she had known him the longest, having worked under cover at his company, but all they got was a shrug. Natasha herself was pissed; she had not been told Tony Stark was a killer. Wasn't that something she had probably needed to know when she went undercover? She'd be hiving a word with Director Fury when they got back to SHIELD.

Just then, a click from the wall next to Tony reviled a small arsenal of personal Stark Tech guns. Apparently Tony hadn't gotten rid of all his weapons. Five large guns lay flat on a dark red velvet cushion, on a platform, just waiting to be used.

"Ahh, some of these bring back such fond memories." Tony said whimsically, picking up a _M-240 Machine Gun_, steading it against his shoulder and looking through the site.

Also on the platform was a _MP-5 Sub-Machine Gun, _a _M-1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun_, a _M-249 SAW_, and a _M-4 Carbine_.

"Quite a gun collection you have there Mr. Stark." Ross said, feeling a bit anxious, now that the guns were within sight. "Which are you going to use?"

"I'm not sure yet." Tony said thoughtfully as he picked up the _M-4 Carbine_ and tested the weight against his shoulder. "Hey Soldier Boy."

Tony turned to the soldier who had taken Johnson's place, a sadistic smile crept onto his face, causing everyone, including the Avengers, to shudder.

"Why don't you choose the instrument of your own death?"

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**E/N~ So How Was This Chapter? Good? Bad? Eh? So-So? Review & Tell Me? Please? I Think Since I Got 12 REVIEWS For The First Chapter I'll Update After I Get 10 On This Chapter! Again, I'm So Happy You All Like This Story. It Makes Me Really Happy! XD**

**Okay, So I Have No Idea What Weapon That I-Rather Tony-Should Use. Here Are Some Links To A Picture Of The Gun. Please Vote On Which One Tony Should Use!**

**The M-240 Machine Gun:**

_** topwar . ru / uploads / posts / 2012 - 06 / 1339214125 _ 800px - M240 _ with _ US _ Army _ soilder . jpg**_

**The MP-5 Sub-Machine Gun:**

_** www . americanspecialops images / photos / navy - seals / navy - seal - mp5 - hr . jpg**_

**The M-1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun: **

** www . mca - marines files / imagecache / photo _ gallery _ rotator _ scale _ crop/1 _ 173 . jpg**

**The M-249 Saw:**

_** farm4 . staticflickr 3507 / 3282252277 _ 80f125dc4e . jpg**_

**The M4 Carbine:**

_** media . defenseindustrydaily images / ORD _ M203 _ on _ M4 _ Carbine _ lg . jpg**_

**Please Choose The Gun Tony Should Use! & Sorry For Such A Long E/N. Thanx For Reading! XD**


	3. To Stage A Tragedy

**A/N~ Okay So, I've Got Enough Votes To Choose The Weapon Tony Will Use. I Want To Thank Everyone Who Voted & What Not. XD **

**Also Just Wanted To Note That There Is Only One More Chapter For This Story, **_**HOWEVER**_**, There Will Be A Sequel. I Have No Idea How Long It Will Take Me To Write It, Since This Story Took Me Nearly 3-4 Weeks To Write. & That Was With Me Neglecting My Studies. Which I Can't Do Now. So It May Take Me Close To 5-6 Weeks At The **_**Least**_**. Well That's All For Now. ENJOY! XD **

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**Warning~ Scary/Ruthless/BAMF!TONY, Seemingly No Regard For Human Life, Etc. Just, Brace Yourself. **

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**Disclaimer~ Nope Not Mine. Anyone Who Says Otherwise, Will Need To Prove It In A Court Of Law… & If They Can, Then I Will Hug Them Forever! Because Then That Means I OWN AVENGERS... But Until Someone Does... I Own Nothing! T-T**

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**_Chapter 3:_**

**_To Stage A Tragedy_**

**_~2,733~_**

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"_Hey Soldier Boy." _

_Tony turned to the soldier who had taken Johnson's place, a sadistic smile crept onto his face, causing everyone to shudder. _

"_Why don't you choose the instrument of your own death?"_

"What?!" The soldier asked in shock, taking a step back. Imagining the damage each of the weapons laying before him could cause. "No way!"

"Oh so sad." Tony pouted. "Why not? Scared?"

"N-no." His stutter ruined all belief for the statement, almost causing Tony to roll his eyes.

"Fine." Tony huffed as if him taking the time to use his brain to choose which gun to use was an inconvenience. "I'll choose."

Tony lifted each gun with a practiced had, checking the weight and feel of the metal killing devices in his hand. Natasha was impressed with Tony's careful handling of the guns. If she didn't know any better, which as of five minutes ago she didn't, she'd have to say he was a pro.

After a few minutes of Tony testing each firearm, Ross was getting impatient. Even if it meant having one of his own men being shot and killed by the billionaire playboy. It only meant he could get Stark out of the way for next time; even if Tony Stark was an Avenger, he couldn't just kill someone in cold blood and get away with it.

"Will you hurry up already!" Ross snapped.

Tony didn't even flinch, and simply set the gun he was currently holding down and ignored him. He smiled, picking up the M-4 Carbine and testing the weight again.

"I think this one will do." Tony said, lifting the heavy machine onto his shoulder with a smile. "So can we put down a tarp or something? All of these will more than likely go straight through that vest you're wearing and out the back, and blood stains are really hard to get out of stone."

The nonchalance in Tony's voice was getting to Ross. His face was starting to turn red and you could practically see the vein in his neck pulsing with anger... it was kinda gross if you asked Tony. But Tony only smiled bigger upon seeing Ross's reaction.

"Getting a little frustrated there Ross?" Tony mocked. "Geez, cool your gaskets will you?"

Tony lifted the gun off his shoulder and leveled it at the soldier without hesitation. The Avengers gasped, as they watched the scene before them. Tony had said no one would get hurt. What was he thinking?

"Ready to die?" Tony said to the young man with a cold, calculating stare. His only response from him was a loud gulp before he pulled the trigger.

"NO!" Bruce yelled as he watched in horror as everything seemed to slow down. He watched in slow motion as the bullet exited the chamber and flew through the air and landed itself in the chest of the young soldier. He stood petrified as the man's eyes widened and he fell to the ground, the loud thud of his body hitting the floor echoed throughout the silent room.

Ross, his men, and the Avengers all stared at the lifeless body on the floor. They watched silently as blood seeped out onto the stone. Their attention jerked to Tony as he sighed and started walking towards body, settling the M-4 Carbine back on his shoulder.

"See?" Tony sighed again. "That blood is going to stain the floor. Do you have _any_ idea how angry Pepper is going to be at me?"

Ross looked from Tony to his fallen soldier and back to Tony; eye's wide with shock and disbelief. He must have been hallucinating. He hadn't just seen... _couldn't_ have seen Tony Stark just murder someone in cold blood right in front of him. Stark wasn't a soldier, he wasn't a killer, sure he had made weapons, but he wasn't supposed to use them himself! Truthfully, Ross was scared shitless at that moment. If Stark could do this without batting an eyelash, Ross couldn't imagine what he'd do to Betty or himself.

When Tony reached the body, he side stepped the growing pool of blood with a grimace as it inched closer to one of the Indian rugs Pepper just _had_ to buy and put all around the tower. Tony looked over the prone body for a few seconds before kicking it over onto its front. Not showing a hint of respect or remorse for the man he had just killed in cold blood.

"Hmm. Didn't go through the back. Must be new vests." Tony murmured to himself, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "JARVIS."

"_Sir, I've already arranged for the usual company to come later tonight to clean up the mess._"

"Good." Tony said distractedly as he looked over the body before looking up at Ross. "Satisfied that I'm not bluffing when I said I'd decapitate you all? Honestly, now that one of you is dead, I don't really see the point in holding back. The only thing truly stopping me from killing you is the trouble of getting rid of the bodies."

"W-what?" Ross said. He had lost all composure once the body hit the floor. He had broken out in a nervous sweat and his eyes kept glancing from Tony, down to the body next to him.

"Well, it'd be easy to get rid of one body, I could simply chop it up and dissolve it in some acid, but seven bodies? I don't have enough acid for that." Tony took on a contemplative look. "Though I'm sure there are some hospitals near by that could use some donor organ. And Kidneys and Livers are quite expensive. I'm sure they would appreciate the donations."

The expression on Tonys face gave a new meaning to the saying, 'if looks could kill.' It wasn't so much as angry or murderous, but rather, closer to the look a serial killer has when he's in the midst of a kill. Happy, excited, and content, for all the wrong reasons.

The Avengers never thought they would ever see a look like that on Tony's face. Steve could feel the nausea rolling around in his gut, Natasha was scared, which was something, since she was _never _scared, Clint was looking extremely uncomfortable, and Thor was astonished, Tony reminded him a bit of his brother. Bruce was... well he was catatonic; frozen to his spot, his eyes never leaving the soulless body next to Tony, he didn't even look to see the terrifying look on Tony's face until he notice movement out of the corner of his eye. Natasha had taken a small, involuntary step back, her face having gone white with fear.

Bruce, shocked at the blatant emotion of horror on the usually cold woman, looked to Tony and froze for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. He could feel his heart beat start to pick up, but he was too frozen and in shock to do anything to calm himself down until he heard the telltale beep come from his watch, though no one else seemed to notice, too fixed on Tony.

Bruce took a second to calm himself. He needed to take stalk in the situation. _One soldier dead; because of me. Tony killed someone; because of me. It looks like there's going to be even more death and bloodshed; because of me... I need to stop this._ Bruce thought to himself, but was unable to move a muscle or ever speak a word. He was forced to watched as Tony continued to talk of killing all the soldiers and shipping off their organs to different hospitals. It was horrifying.

"So as far as I see it-if you don't want to see what it's like to literally be in two places at once-you have to choose between two options Ross." Tony shrugged.

"Oh? A-and what a-are they?" He stuttered.

"You either live or you die."

"What?"

"Well, you can live, which means _I_ will be _letting_ you live, by _allowing_ you to walk out of this building. And _if_ I do, I expect to _never_ see you again. You will _never_ be in the same state as me, or any of the Avengers, and it would probably just be _safer_ to just move out of the country." Tony said, deadly serious. "_Or_, you die, right here, right now. Your choice."

Everyone stared at Ross. He looked terrified, rightfully so, and he was shaking in his boots, literally.

"F-fine." Ross whispered, before clearing his throat and speaking louder. "Fine, I'll leave."

"And?" Tony demanded.

"And, I'll n-never step int-to the same s-state as you." Ross stuttered out. "And I think I'll take your advice and leave the country too. I didn't realize that when I came up here to catch one monster, there was another, more fierce monster guarding it. You Stark, are more frightening than that green lab accident ever will be."

With that, Ross turned around and walked into the still open elevator, his men quickly behind him, entering their own elevators, though this time it wasn't as balanced, with two men in the elevator on the left, three in the middle and one on the right. The doors dinged closed and after a minute of silence JARVIS spoke up.

"_They have left the building without any further trouble sir._" JARVIS informed them.

Tony immediately relaxed with a sigh. He walked over to the display case and set the M-4 Carbine down in the velvet cushioning. He walked back to the body and kneeled next to it, soaking his knees in blood. He flipped the body back over and started unbuttoning the soldier's coat.

"T-Tony?" Steve, surprisingly, was the first one to speak. "Tony, leave the poor soul alone."

Tony ignored him and continued the unbuttoning until he was granted access to the vest.

"JARVIS, bring up a scan of the damage and estimate how long he'll be out. While you're at it, get some bandages, muscle relaxers, and some pain med's ready in one of the extra rooms." Tony stopped for a second. "Make sure it's the closest unoccupied room and call the on-call SI doctor while you're at it."

"_Of course Sir_." The smooth British voice replied.

The Avengers watched as Tony took off his over shirt, leaving himself in a gray wife-beater. Tony proceeded to unbuckle the mans vest.

"_Sir scans are complete,_" Said scans popped up on a hologram next to Tony, who glanced at them before going back to unbuckling the vest. "_Also a room two floors below you has been prepared with the necessities. Dr. Finnegan is on his way and has been informed of the situation and any possible problems. Also Mr. Douglas should be out for another half hour at the most._"

"Good. I was afraid he'd been seriously hurt." Tony sighed in relief. "ETA on Finnegan?"

"_He should be here in approximately 20 minutes._" JARVIS replied.

"Okay, when he gets here direct him to the room you set up." Tony ordered, "Now I just have to get him there."

Tony looked over at his friends who were still surrounding Bruce protectively and took on a slightly irritated look: A look they were all far more familiar with.

"Hey pea-brains, you going to stand there like statues all day?" Tony asked. "Or are you going to help me move him to the room downstairs?"

Everyone stayed where they were, rooted to their spots, confusion radiating off them. Tony made an irritated sound as he checked the mans, apparently a Mr. Douglas, pulse.

"Guys!" Tony called at them. "Come on! I can't drag him all the way down stairs on my own! I know you may think I can do anything, and I could probably do this, but I need some help."

That seemed to snap a few of them out whatever trance they were in. Clint and Thor shook their heads, dispelling their initial shock. They walked over to Tony and _Mr. Douglas's_ still body. Clint's eyes widened as he was the first to notice the small rise and fall of the mans chest.

"He's alive?" Clint asked in shock.

Tony looked up at him like he had just asked how to milk a cow And replied, "Of course he's alive. You didn't really think I'd kill someone in my own home would you?"

Clint glanced back at Natasha when they both realized that meant that Tony would kill someone outside his home. They'd both be talking to Fury after this was taken over.

"What help from us do you need Man Of Iron?" Thor asked.

"I need you to carry Jimmy here down to the room JARVIS prepared before the doctor here in... JARVIS?" Asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"_Approximately 14 minutes._" JARVIS answered.

"Right, right..." Tony trailed off distractedly as he watched Thor and Clint pick up the unconscious man. "Careful with him!"

When they carried him to the elevator, Tony right beside them, the others seemed to snap out of their shock, quickly following in another elevator. Steve and Natasha deliberately not looking at the pool of blood on the ground.

Bruce, on the other hand, stared at it as he walked by. The pool was a slightly lighter shade of red than blood, but it was hard to notice and only a trained eye, like a doctors' eye, would spot it. The thought that it wasn't really blood, or at least human blood, caused Bruce to relax a little. He followed Steve and Natasha into another elevator and JARVIS took them two floors down. They exited just as Tony was opening the first door to allow Thor and Clint to enter.

Thor and Clint carefully set the man down as he started to moan in his sleep, obviously in some discomfort, or pain. Tony quickly ran to the tray set up next to the bed. It held several prescription bottles, a bowl of cold water with several cubes of ice floating in it with a rag laying next to it, several sets of bandages, a brown bottle of what could only by hydrogen peroxide, and a glass of water. Tony quickly set out two small white pills that Bruce recognized as Vicodin, and set them next to the glass of water. He set the cloth in the bowl of water, letting it soak up the cool liquid before ringing it out and setting it on the bed.

"What's going on?" Steve asked out of know where, but it was obvious he was confused and unsure if this was reality or some twisted dimension.

"Yeah, What the Hell just happened up there Stark?" Natasha agreed.

"Hold your thoughts for a minute," Tony said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he had Thor lift the man on the bed into a sitting position.

Tony took off the bullet proof vest and tossed it to the ground near Bruce, who picked it up. There was no bullet hole, on either side, what there was, was a small needle sticking out of the front. Bruce pulled it out. The front had a drop of blood, the proper shade of red, and was about an inch long. Just long enough to embed itself in the vest, penetrate the skin by a few millimeters and not go any further. It would not have been noticeable from a few feet away without looking for it. The front of the vest was covered in what appeared to be Red Dye No. 2 and corn syrup. It almost made Bruce laugh.

Everyone had become quiet when Tony told them to hold on, it was like they were scared of him. Granted they probably were, but it was freaky and weirded Tony out. Once Tony was down wiping the small wound on the mans chest, Tony let Thor lay the man back down, and he turned to his team.

"Okay so lets step outside for now." Tony suggested, but when he saw the way his team was watching him carefully he sighed. "I'll answer any questions you have."

They filed out of the room, leaving the door open a crack so as to hear it the man woke up. Tony leaned against the wall opposite the door, his team making a small semicircle around him, all watching him like a hawk. Tony laughed in his mind, it was funny since one of them was named Hawkeye. Tony looked up at them with a half smile.

"Okay shoot."

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**E/N~ Okay, So… Kinda Another Cliff Hanger. But Nearly As Bad As The Others… Right? Well I Hope. I'll More Than Likely Update Tomorrow. Then That's It For A While. **

**This Has Been By Far The Most Feed Back I've Ever Gotten From My Stories. So I'm Going To Step It Up… 15 Reviews? Think It Can Be Done? I Sure Hope So! XD **

**Here Are The Results From The Voting, Even Though You Know The Winner. **

M-4 Carbine | 5

MP5 Sub-Machine Gun | 2

**The Other 3 Guns Didn't Get Any Votes I Was Very Surprised. I Thought The Shotgun Was Going To Win For Sure.**


	4. Explanations Are A Pain

**A/N~ Okay Guys Don't Hate Me PLEASE! I Didn't Mean To Make You Wait That Long! Like Literally An Hour Before I Was Going To Post This My Power Went Out. Which Means The Internet Went Out As Well. & When It Came Back On The Internet Was A Screwy & Wouldn't Let Me Upload ANYTHING! I Couldn't Even Change My Profile Or I Would Have Put Something There As An Explanation. & Then My Computer Charger Broke & My Computer Died For A Week. So When My Internet Was Fixed I Couldn't Get It Updated! I'm Really Sorry Guys. Please Don't HATE ME! PLEASE! T-T. **

**Well Enough About Why You Should All Hate Me, Here's That Final Chapter! I'm Writing Another Avenger's Fic. But It's Literally 100% Different Than This One… Okay 99% Since It's Tony Centric Too. But I'll Be Waiting A While Before I Post That One. Well Anyway, ENJOY! XD**

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**Warning~ Serious Tony Talking About Killing & Family(It's Kinda Weird To Be Honest)… Oh & At The End … Scary Natasha.**

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**Disclaimer~ I Don't Own Anything Besides Jim Douglas. I Just Made Him Up For Fun. I Also Made Up Betty's Son & His Name… Though I Feel Like If She Has A Son She'd Name Him After Bruce. XD**

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**_Chapter 4:_**

**_Explanations Are A Pain_**

**_~3,498~_**

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_They filed out of the room, leaving the door open a crack so as to hear it the man woke up. Tony leaned against the wall opposite the door, his team making a small semicircle around him, all watching him like a hawk. Tony laughed in his mind, it was funny since one of them was named Hawkeye. _

"_Okay shoot." Tony said with a half smile._

"What the hell happened upstairs?" Clint demanded.

"Well, Ross came in to take Bruce, I stopped him and now he's out of our hair for good." Tony smiled. "No harm done."

"No harm? You had a woman's house attack her and you shot a man in the chest!" Steve exclaimed incredulously. "How is that no harm?"

"Oh right!" Tony snapped his fingers. "Thank you for reminding me. JARVIS, call up Miss Ross would you?"

JARVIS didn't answer but soon there was the sound of a phone ringing.

_Ring._

_Ring. _

_Rin- _

"_Hello?"_

"Miss Ross?" Tony called out.

"_Oh Tony!_" Betty called in reply, sounding completely fine and as if nothing had happened. "_How'd it go? Was I convincing enough?_"

"Oh you were more than convincing." Tony's smile seeped into his gleeful tone. "I really liked how you dropped the phone and cut off in the middle. Nice touches."

"_Thank you, thank you._" She sounded like she was receiving an award, she was probably doing a mock bow on the other end as well. "_Well, I learned from the best. Though I wasn't sure on the background noises. Was it sufficient?_"

"Oh more than enough, I could hear the blender and the garbage disposal very clearly." Tony said in praise. "Are you sure you're a scientist and not a scene stager?"

"_Oh shush Tony._" Betty said, it was obvious she was blushing.

"B-Betty?" Bruce stuttered out.

"_Bruce? Is that you?_" Betty asked.

"Yep that's Bruce!" Tony answered for his tongue tied friend. "Brucie, Angry, Big Green. Here in the flesh... Well, for you voice. Unless you wanted to come out and make it in the flesh, I could so do that for you."

"_Bruce I am so sorry about this._" Betty apologized. "_I thought he had finally given up on chasing you, but it only turns out that he'd lost your trail. But then he saw the footage of the attack in New York, he flipped. I tried to get him to drop it and convince him you were a hero, but you know how he is. Once he has an opinion he doesn't change it unless it fits his agenda. I hope none of you or your friends were hurt._"

"No none of us were hurt. I thought you were the one who had gotten hurt." Bruce said with a relieved sigh.

"_Oh right. I guess Tony hasn't told you yet._" Betty said thoughtfully. "_Well, I'm fine, nothing even happened to me. I just turned on a few electronics and put on an act._"

"One hell of an act."

"_Well, I'm going to let Tony explain what happened since you're probably really confused on what went on. I can only imagine what Tony did. I wouldn't be surprised if he threw someone out of a window or something._" You could hear the laughter in her voice. "_I'll talk to you later Bruce. I've got a lot to catch you up on._"

"You and me both." Bruce said. "Good bye."

There was the sound of a phone hanging up and the hall became quiet. Bruce actually knew some of what Betty was talking about. He knew there wasn't anymore 'them,' as she had gotten married a year ago and now had a baby. He didn't know the details: who the father was, or what the babies gender or name was, but he was happy for her. She had found love and had a family now, and he wasn't alone, and he had a family too.

After a moment of silence Clint coughed. "So I'm going to ask again. What the Hell happened upstairs? And don't give us that shortened crap Tony. We want answers."

"Well, I answered that. If you want details on specific things just ask." Tony huffed, he didn't really want to explain everything that had gone on up stairs. He had gotten a little carried away with the act and had let a bit of the old him slip through. He hadn't wanted the truth about him being a killer to be exposed: he'd taken extra care to make sure not even SHIELD had records of that. But if his team asked, he wouldn't lie to them.

"Fine." Clint huffed in return. "What was with shooting that guy?" Clint jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the slightly opened door. "And who is he?"

"That," Tony pointed to the door, "is Jim Douglas. He's an actor friend of mine who's worked in nearly every field imaginable on earth. He's also been in almost every part of the military. He's been a Marine, an Air Force pilot, a Navy Seal, a Corporal in the Army, and he was even a Petty Officer 2nd Class in the Coast Guard." Tony shrugged. "He's also a four star chef, an artist with some pretty famous paintings, he's won horse races, race car races, dozens of competitions in just as many fields, he was also in several block buster movies and he's directed many award winning films."

"Okay, then why is he here?" Steve asked.

"I asked if he could help me with this." Tony shrugged again. "Once Betty called me telling me Ross was on the hunt again I asked for his help. He loves going undercover, and he's got the training to do it too."

"How do you know Betty?" Bruce asked, confused.

"I met her through Ross." Tony grimaced. "When I made weapons we often saw each other at meetings. Never liked the guy, even before..." He tapped his chest, indicating his Arc Reactor. "She seemed nice enough though, one of the only women who actually got my sense of humor, and she told me a lot about Brucie. When I said I was a big fan, I wasn't joking."

Bruce blushed a light pink. He was saved by Thor.

"That up there," Thor pointed to the ceiling, "was all an act?"

"Not all of it." Tony said, "But most of it."

"Can you elaborate on what was and wasn't an act?" Clint asked. "Because all of it seemed pretty real."

"Well, the whole 'gun' thing was fake. I've had those guns rigged to shoot knockout darts since I heard Ross was loose." Tony answered. "Which means the whole 'I killed a guy' thing was fake too. And obviously the whole 'hurt Betty to get to Ross' was planned. She's a good little actress herself."

"So, what about all the threats of decapitation?" Natasha asked, her voice flat and demanding.

Everyone became quiet as Tony thought his answer through.

"That was all true." Tony replied honestly. "If you guys hadn't been there and I wasn't able to get him to back off Bruce, they probably would have all died... well except Jimmy of course."

"And that stuff about killing more people than Ross in five minutes than he did in a tour?" She asked, her tone cold as ice.

"Again true." Tony hesitated, not wanting to go into detail on his murder spree/rampage, but he knew they weren't going to rest peacefully until he explained. He took a deep breath and continued. "When I escaped from the cave, I killed probably 30 to 40 people. Either shooting them or burning them or blowing them up when I blew up all the Stark Weapons. I'm not sure, but after I got back from Afghanistan, I found out my company was dealing under the table, and that someone I thought was a trusted family friend was actually an enemy trying to take the company from me. He was actually dealing to the people who had kidnapped me, I found out later that he was the one who paid them to kill me."

Tony took more deep breaths to try and stay calm. It was obvious to everyone that he was digging up very emotionally painful memories.

"Anyway, I had just finished the Mark II, and I saw on the news that the Terrorists group The Ten Rings, the bastards who took me, were taking over a village using my weapons. I was so pissed off that suited up and flew out there. I took out every single one of those damn terrorists without a single moment of hesitation. Not even paying attention to the lives I was saving. I probably killed 2 to 300 people JARVIS probably knows the exact number from both instances. Before I left, I found one of the bastard leaders who was in the cave with me and I left him for the villagers. He's more than dead now."

Tony sighed when he finished, closing his eyes to hide the emotion in them. He was expecting some type of lash out. Maybe a speech on how disappointing he was from Steve, how he could have handled the situation differently.

A disgusted look from Clint, finding out his joking and pranking partner is a cold blooded killer.

A scared look from Bruce, if he was capable of killing like that, then maybe he shouldn't make him angry: It would be ironic really.

Pity from Thor, or surprise. He wasn't 100% in tune with the God's reactions, having know him for only a few months, but he'd rather have the surprise than the pity.

Anger from Natasha, he knew she would be angry that she didn't know about it, that was the only reaction he was expecting and didn't hate. She was a killer too, so if anything, maybe she would know what he was going through.

He stood there with his head down and his eyes closed for nearly an entire minute before he looked up. There had been no out break of emotion, not anger, no speech, no running away from the big bad billionaire, playboy(Not nearly as much since the invasion), philanthropist(A lot more since the invasion), genius... and now murderer. He was sorely disappointed that he was so far off in his guesses... well he got one right.

When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see understanding in everyones eyes. Natasha was obviously irritated at the fact she didn't know, she hated to be out of the loop, but when Tony Stark doesn't want something to be known, it isn't. Whatever it is, is buried deep underground and guarded like the gates of hell: _All those who try to pass will parish!_ And eventually it is forgotten.

He was prepared for the anger, but the understanding threw him for a loop. He was so surprised he couldn't help the dumbfound look that took up residence on his face. Bruce was the first to notice Tonys dumbstruck look and couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's with that look Tony?" Bruce asked. "You look shocked."

"I kinda am." Tony admitted, he was being very honest today, too honest, and it was very unlike him. "I expected anger, yelling, and disappointment, not..." Tony waved his hands at the group of superhero's, not really able to put into words the looks on their faces.

"Well, I'm angry." Natasha deadpanned.

"And I expected you to be." Tony said. "But you're all... I don't know, you all look understanding. It's freaking me out."

Bruce laughed again. "It's because we are understanding Tony." Bruce smiled at Tony's confusion; it wasn't everyday you confused a genius. "We understand Tony. Why you did it, what you were feeling. We understand. Heck, most of us have probably even done something like it. Killed a person out of revenge rather than the safety of someone else."

"Okay, now that we've established that we understand," Natasha began. "Can you explain why I didn't know this? Why I went undercover at your company without knowing you had the ability to kill?"

"I hacked SHIELD and deleted all records of it." Tony's face relaxed as he paused for a second. "Not that there was much anyway. All it said was that I saved a village from the terrorist group. Didn't even know which one. SHIELD thought I was just going to destroy my weapons. They didn't really have very good intelligence collectors back then."

"Was that not but a few years ago?" Thor asked.

"Yeah, about 2 and half years." Tony said. "Ever sense I became a consultant after the whole 'I am Iron Man' thing, their tech and information network has tripled, if not quadrupled."

"Tony?" Bruce said, his voice serious and void of the laughter from a minute ago. "Why would you go though all this trouble just for me? You barely knew me."

"It didn't matter. I liked you. You were a friend. I protect my friends." Tony paused, about to break his 'no emotional dumps in the presence of anyone besides Rhodey or Pepper' rule. "I'd protect all of you. You're more than just friends, you're family."

There was a pause as Tony's words sunk in. Tony didn't speak much of family, after all, all his blood family was dead, and when you thought about it, so was everyone else's, save Thor, but his was in a different universe, on a different planet. None of them had any blood family.

"_Sir Dr. Finnegan has just arrived._" JARVIS's soft British tone filled the hallway. "_I have instructed him to come up immediately. He is currently moving towards the elevator. He shall reach your floor in approximately 1 minute._"

"Thank you JARVIS." Tony said, pushing past the group to head towards the elevator to wait for Dr. Finnegan to arrive. "Guys we'll have to hold off on this convo. until Jimmy is set up and the Doc. is gone. Alright?"

Tony didn't need to turn around to see the strange looks his team was giving him: a fond, worried, and hopeful look. Fond in that they felt that he was their family too, worried in that the incident upstairs hadn't changed anything between them, and hopeful in that they were hoping to get more information out of him, willingly. They really didn't need to force it out of him. Of course they could always turn to tickling him, that seemed to do the trick in the past.

**~ Avengers ~**

It had been nearly a week since 'The Ross Incident' as everyone called it. The team had all promised that they wouldn't tell Fury, Natasha had been surprisingly pliant in this regard, saying that 'it's about time I knew something Fury didn't.' The group had waited for a time when they could bring up the rest of their questions: They waited for Tony to be ready to answer them. However, after a week, they were tired of waiting for Tony to bring it up, so they trapped him in his bedroom after they had finally gotten him to sleep the night before. The instant he opened his door he was being pushed back in and mauled by his team.

"What the?" Tony exclaimed as he was pushed onto the bed.

"You're not going anywhere." Clint told him. "We have a few more question about the 'Ross Incident.'" Clint used air quotes.

"Oh, my god. Clint if you don't stop naming everything, I will rig your arrows to shoot pink glittery dust in your face." Tony threatened.

"I don't name everything." Clint defended.

"When Bruce lost his glasses yesterday you named it the 'Bifocal Blunder.' You even made a small banner for it and hung it up until he found them." Tony said with a raised eyebrow. "They were on the kitchen counter."

"..." Clint seemed speechless. "Point taken. But in my defense, It was a clever name!"

"I fear we're getting off the main focus of this meeting." Thor said.

"I agree." Steve said. "We just have a few more questions about what happened with Ross."

"Okay, shoot." Tony said easily, but became more serious. "I'll tell you guys whatever you want to know."

"How did you get Betty to agree to that hoax?" Bruce asked.

"It was quite easy actually. We talked it out on the phone. We've known each other for a few years," Tony explained. "She knows my flair for the dramatics: it wasn't that hard to get her to help make a plan."

"Who's idea was it to fake kill someone in order to scared Ross?" Natasha asked.

"That was actually Betty. She even came up with the idea for her to be involved." Tony answered. "She knew her father still kept tabs on her since she had her son, and she knew that he would be swayed a lot if it seemed like she was in danger."

"_Son_?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah her son," Tony smiled, figuring Bruce didn't know much about it. "little Bruce Ross."

Bruce's eyes went wide in surprise. She'd named her son after him? Before Bruce could ask, he was interrupted by Thor.

"How did Jim Douglas get involved with this scheme?" Thor asked.

They had gotten to know him a little the two days he stayed in the tower as he recovered the little damage he had received from the impact of the dart and also while he visited with Tony. He had become quick friends with the team, but had to leave to go direct some Superhero movie that was sure to be the next best movie in the world.

"Well we needed someone on the inside just incase things got to bad." Tony said with a shrug. "Unfortunately Ross didn't tell them much, so when he came here he wasn't able to give me a heads up."

"So you planted a mole in your enemy's team?" Natasha asked, sounding slightly approving at the tactic.

"Essentially."

"So the whole thing was set up?" Clint asked. "Even the things JARVIS said? Like when he said that he didn't think it was a good idea or when he was second guessing you?"

"Yeah, kinda, I left it up to him to make it realistic." Tony said with a smile and looked up at the ceiling. "You're a good actor Buddy."

"Thank you sir." JARVIS said. "I was programed by the best."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Bruce spoke up. "What did Betty mean when she said that she was taught by the best?"

"Oh Jimmy went out there and taught her a little acting. He did a great job if I do say so myself." Tony grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised if we saw her in some up and coming movies."

"I doubt it." Bruce murmured.

"Did you mean what you said when you called us family?" Steve asked.

Tony paused for a second to blink: he hadn't expected that to be brought up, it wasn't really part of the Ross Incident, and _Damn it Clint! It's becoming catchy!_

"Of course I meant it." Tony said with no hesitation. "I don't joke about that kind of stuff."

"Just had to make sure." Steve said with a small smile.

"Yeah, I was telling the truth when I said that I'd protect you all." Tony said seriously. "You're my family."

Suddenly Tony was engulfed in large biceps. It wasn't something he was expecting so he stood there in slight shock as the rest of the team joined in on the impromptu group hug.

"Tony we would all protect you from anything too. Just know that we've got your back. We're not just a team, we are a family."

Tony smiled as he felt the love of the group hug seep into him. "I would protect you guys too."

The group hug tightened and Tony felt something soft but firm with his hand and gulped when he realized what he was gripping.

"Okay, who just coped a feel?" Natasha growled and instantaneously the family-love moment ended and hug disappeared as everyone broke off and stepped back.

"Uh... It was an accident!" Tony said, hoping the spy would see reason. "I swear!"

"Stark?" Was that fire he saw behind her? "You have 3 seconds to run for your life."

"But I swear! It was an accident!" Tony yelled hopelessly as he began to back away towards to door.

"1" Tony turned around and ran out the door, "HELP! GUYS?"

"2" Boy did she sound like controlled fury, Tony only hoped that he was far enough away when it burst.

"You're on your own Tony!" Clint yelled as he quickly disappeared into an air duct.

"WHAT!? BUT YOU JUST SAID YOU'D HAVE MY BACK!" Tony yelled as he ran down the hall towards the elevator: he needed to get to his lab. He'd have a 'semblance of safety from the pissed off spy there.

"3." And oh yeah, he wasn't far enough away: he realized that he'd need to be on another continent... or better yet, another planet. He wondered if Thor would take him to Asgard for a few days... years?

"Sorry Tony! We're not suicidal!" Steve yelled behind him as he ducked into Tony's bathroom for cover, along with Bruce and Thor.

"BUT GUYS!" Tony had just reached the elevator when he heard the scariest thing he'd ever heard in his life.

"STARK! YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

"HELP!"

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**Okay, So What Did You Think? I Wanted To End It On A Funny Note Since It Was All Serious In The Earlier Chapters. Hope You Guys Liked It. I'll Be Posting The First Chapter To My New Avenger Fic **_**'Secrets of a Girl In Hiding' **_**Maybe Next Week Since This If Finals Week For Me. Please Review & Tell Me What You Think! **

**Oh & This Is Also My First Completed Chapter Story! I'm So Excited! XD **


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